The Dinner Theater

GREETINGS!

This was the last "show" we went to before going home the next day.  It was a dinner show at Yakov Smirnoff's Theater.  And I mean to tell you, the food was excellent.  We were served right in our theater chairs, it was nice and hot, meats were tender, potatoes and veggies just right, we had strawberry shortcake for dessert, and we even had a candle on our tray!  There is an actual Chef on staff at the theater and he did an excellent job preparing the meal right there.  Can't say enough about how good it was.  It was a nice break midway through the show.

We did not see Yakov as he was off traveling somewhere, but the show was very good.  It was about some Russian circus performers coming to America, with of course a young couple in love and a mean sister!  I would certainly recommend the show to people, even families were there.  And we sat middle stage, first row so you know our guys were chosen to "help" the performers!  They loved it!!

These pictures are of the inside and outside of the theater, and of the performers after the show in the lobby where you can get their autograph and pick up the DVD if you purchased one.

This is cousins Kay and Joe from Alabama, standing in front of Yakov's likeness outside.

 

This is me and Ronnie by Yakov!

 

 

Joe, Kay and Me

 

 

Inside the lobby - just a portion of it!

 



Cousin Kay and one of the stars of the show!

 

Ronnie and one of the stars of the show!

 

 

We had a great time at the theater.  There is a nice gift shop of course, and a large concession area.  We saw the show on a Sunday evening, and it was very nice.  So ended our wanderings for the long weekend.  It was time to head home the next morning.  After bidding our cousins goodbye,   Ronnie and I stopped at Cracker Barrel for breakfast before taking off for home.  Would you believe we were the first customers of the day?!  I think it was between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m.

 

 

This last picture is the big Indian Chief who stands guard at Big Cabin, Oklahoma.  This is where you connect with Interstate 44 and gets us closer to home.........only a couple hours to go!  I think that's right, but I do know it's near home!

 





 

 

All in all, we had a really nice mini-vacation; and it was so nice to see my cousins!  This was neither of ours first visit to Branson, so we were able to do some things other than all the "shows" and the touristy stuff.  Kind of branch out a little and see the place as a real town!  I highly recommend going to Branson, but take lots of money!

 

Until next time, take care.

Breakfast and Shopping In Branson

GREETINGS!

This is my 3rd posting of our Branson trip last August;  only one more after this one, I promise!

This was on a Saturday.  My husband, Ronnie, had left early to go to a SASS gun shoot somewhere around Branson, so my cousin Kay, her husband Joe, and I decided to go out to breakfast and then do some shopping at the outlet mall.

Our breakfast stop was at McFarlain's on Shepherd of the Hills Expressway.  It is in a little enclosed Mall with the IMAX Theater and is really quite nice.  The decor is kind of cowboy - 1880's - antique, and it is really nice with great food.  The 3 of us sat at a round table, ordered our food and started talking and catching up on our lives.  You know, things you don't chat about on Facebook or in emails.  Anyway, our food arrived and we ate and continued talking.  At one point I said something to the effect that I was sure sitting low, I could almost just slide the food from plate to mouth.  A while later, cousin Kay said she knew what I meant about the seating/table.  Then the waitress came over and started laughing and told us why we felt that way.  The table is on an electronic "riser", which slowly raises the height of the table.  We were so busy talking we didn't notice it until it got to the point where the table was almost higher than our chins!  I'm telling you, we laughed so hard, and we each got a certificate saying we belonged to the Rising Table Society!  Very cute.  So if you go to McFarlain's in Branson beware of the round table on either side of the serving station.  They are the only 2 that "rise".........

This picture (above) is cousins Kay and Joe.  I think we were about to enter McFarlain's for breakfast.

The following pictures are just random shots of things along the way.  We did have a great time shopping at the outlet mall and made a couple purchases.  Also during our stay we went to a quaint little place for dessert one night - peach or berry cobbler and ice cream, etc., another breakfast outing that wasn't very good, dinner at Chili's the first day, snacks at McDonald's and a $10 donation to 2 homeless guys with a dog.  We surely did get the "feel" of living in Branson I think, besides the entertainment part.  There is an old fashioned dime store in "old" downtown Branson called Dick's 5 & 10  that is a must to visit if you go there.  They have practically anything and everything you'd ever want and can remember from your childhood.  It's huge and is run the old fashioned way - all inventoried, stocked, etc. by hand - no electronic stuff!  It's amazing.  Even the tour buses make a stop there!!

The first 2 pictures are inside of McFarlain's where we ate breakfast.

So, that's it for this time.  Tomorrow I'll wind this up with our outing at Yakov's dinner show!  Until next time, take care.

The Dinner Train

GREETINGS!

Here we go again..........a Branson happening!  This was a dinner train ride, and it was quite fun.  Not a big trip, just a few miles up the track to one of those old-fashioned trestle bridges (but it was brand new) and back.  Just enough time to eat your meal and visit with your tablemates on the way out and watch the scenery on the way back.

I have kind of a phobia against bridges, and wouldn't you know, when the train reached the trestle the car I was in was smack dab in the middle of the thing!  And it sat there for 5 or 10 minutes while they got ready to go back.  You can see from some of the pictures just how high it was!  But I made it.........

There was some mixup getting our tickets, and we did not get to sit with my cousins for dinner.  However, we found them after dinner and sat with them on the way back to the station.  We did meet a nice younger couple from Branson sharing our table who were celebrating their anniversary, and had an interesting conversation.

So here are the pictures.  Oh, the train is from the 30's or 40's if I remember right, and the dinner was catered by Golden Corral.

And that was pretty much the trip!  We did go through lots of trees and bushes/shrubs, saw some homes along side the track, a river and marina and just general landscape.  The food was okay and the service was great.  If you've never been on a train you would enjoy the short trip.  Oh, you don't have to have dinner, you can just go for the ride.

Tomorrow I'll tell you about our breakfast and shopping adventure!  Take care.

A Long Time........

GREETINGS!

It has been several months since I've posted to my blog, but I'm going to give it a try now and see if I can catch up!  I tried the other day and could not post a picture so gave up........ don't know if it was me or the blog.  Probably me!

These are some pictures from our trip last August to Branson, MO.  We had a great time and met up with my cousin and her husband from Alabama.

This was where we stayed, and I would not recommend it.  We had no say in choosing as we got a package deal, but won't do that again.  It was out of the main stream and the pool was far away!

 

 

The next pictures are just shots of things along the main drag, which has grown by leaps and bounds!

 

 

 

This last picture is the Titanic museum.  It is a wonderful walk through, with actual articles of things retrieved from the Titanic after it sank, and authentic replicas of rooms, etc.  Well worth the fee and will take a good 2 hours of your time. 

The rest of these type pictures would bore you I'm sure, so I'm done for today.  BUT, tomorrow I'll post our dinner train trip!  That was nice.  See you tomorrow, God willing.  Take care until then.
Oh, it seems it was operator error on the pictures the other day..........DUH!   Bye.

My Secret Project

GREETINGS!

I know it's been quite a while since I've posted, and I have no excuse other than that I just haven't been in the mood!    I have pictures of our Branson trip and of mine and Judy's August outing to do, and will try to get back in the groove!

In the meantime, Ronnie and his buddy Jack went off to a big U.S. shoot of some kind in Illinois.  Big deal to cowboy shooters, not so much to their wives!  They have been gone for 4 days now and will be home Sunday some time.  So I used this opportunity to do some painting!  See below........

I did both the front and back doors in this color.  I really wanted more of a Salmon color, but this is kind of growing on me!  I rather imagine Ronnie will not be too pleased, but, oh well.  We've talked of painting the house for 3 yrs now and haven't; so I figured this would go good with the "tan" if and when we ever get it painted.  If not, no big loss -- just a quart of paint!  Maybe I should have done purple!!  What fun.

On a more serious note, I had an interview with an elementary school prinicipal this week about doing some volunteer work.  I start as a kind of teacher's aide this coming Tuesday, and will work Tuesdays and Wednesdays for 4 hours or so helping the two 2nd grade teachers.  At this time they have no one to help them, so hopefully this will help them a little.  Have to go to have my fingerprints taken on Monday and have a background check.  I guess the boredom of staying home all the time has finally caught up with me; I look forward (I think) to getting out and doing something productive.  Pray that my patience and nerves are in good order!  :)

That's all I know for now.  Until next time, take care and God bless you and yours.

A Day To Give Thanks

GREETINGS!

I really hadn't planned on blogging today, but since I'm here I'll do a quick one.

Twenty-one years ago today I suffered a ruptured aneurysm in my brain.  I want to publicly give thanks to my God for choosing to give me these bonus years of life.  He is an awesome God, all the time!  I praise Him for providing the two wonderful doctors who helped to save my life, but most of all, I thank the Lord.  I have not done anything astounding during these years, but I know there is a reason He saw fit to keep me here;  I'll just keep trying to figure it out I guess!  :)

That's all I know.  Until next time, take care and God bless you and yours.

Just Checking In

GREETINGS!

It's been a few days since I've posted, so thought I'd better check in.  My family and friends are asking about my proximity to the fires and so I want to let all know that we are fine.  The biggest fires are North of Tulsa - about 100+ miles from us - and the others are kind of Southeast of us a ways.  So for the time being we are safe.  But I must say, it's scarey being on top of a mountain that is all dried up, with dead trees, burned up grass and shrubs from the excessive heat.  It wouldn't take much for it to go up in flames.  I just hope everyone is very cautious and observes the burning bans. 

Moving on, here is a picture of a cool cactus my friend Kathy gave us.  She'd had it sitting in a bucket for a very long time, and so we planted it and gave it a new home.  I think it's doing okay, but with this heat, who knows for sure!

I don't know if it's a big Prickly Pear or some tame kind of paddle cactus or what, but we like it!

We are going to Branson.  My cousin and her husband from Alabama are coming also, so we are sure to have a great time.  We will all be at the same motel, and go to the dinner/ride/show together.  It will be nice to see them and get in a good visit too.  Will also be nice to have someone to take me to breakfast while Ronnie has my car and goes shooting in the mornings!!  I love going out to breakfast!!  Should be a great little mini-vacation.

Went to WalMart - where else?- the other day and bought a bunch of stuff:  a new nightgown, a white tank top, some nail polish, lotion, 2 kinds of perfume, new toothbrushes, etc.  Must have been nuts! came out to $92 and no groceries!  Oh well.............

That's all I know for now.  Until next time, take care and God bless you and yours.